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Harnessing the power of marketing in the channel can often be difficult. While the same, old meet-and-greet luncheons and daylong symposiums can be dull, solution provider Bedroc approaches marketing as an out-of-the-box experience.

Currently the Nashville, Tenn.-based Cisco, EMC and Riverbed-focused solution provider stays on top of marketing with limited social media and blog posts (to avoid spamming) and lunch meetings. However, recently introducing potential partners and existing contacts to skeet shooting and go-kart has been beneficial, said Todd Plambeck, vice president of technology at Bedroc.

"Traditional stuff just didn’t work, that's the easiest thing to say," said Plambeck. "Taking clients out to meetings or events and doing lunch is honestly boring, and we decided we need something bigger and better to target to specific people."

Although it is a corporate marketing event, Plambeck receives nothing but positive feedback, he said. Bedroc currently does one major event a term.

"They know that it's a marketing event, but they know there is fun at the end of the rainbow," said Plambeck. "[With] skeet shooting, we targeted that to five people; they are higher-ups and when we get out, we feel confident to spend quality time with them."

Today, the go-kart events entail doing one round around the track and if they want to do more, prospective clients will listen to a 30-minute informational session and then continue to do three more go-kart rounds, said Plambeck.

"We went with one race up beforehand so they get loosened up to the marketing," said Plambeck. "Starting off with a presentation would be a different story; they won't have a big smile because they're not going 60 miles per hour."

XChange Solution Provider 2015 is finally upon us and the timing couldn't be better. The premier channel event is happening March 1-3 in Dallas, bringing together 225 solution provider decision makers from across North America. CRN is at the event to provide news, analysis and a firsthand take from partners.